Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#89. Frankie Luvu
Frankie Luvu was an overlooked special teamer for the New York Jets for the first three years of his career. In 2021, the Panthers hired Scott Fitterer as general manager, and he decided to bring Luvu into the fold pretty early on in the free agency process. That turned out to be one of the few good decisions Fitterer made. Then-head-coach Matt Rhule saw the tenacity and passion Luvu played with on special teams, giving him some opportunities on defense as well. The following year, Luvu was a starting linebacker for the Panthers and had a break out season. While he left a lot to be desired in pass coverage, his pass rushing and run stopping ability was on full display, notching 111 tackles (19 for loss) and seven sacks. He was arguably even better the following season, really blossoming in his role as a team captain and leading to a big payday from the Washington Commanders.
Luvu’s time in Carolina was relatively short, with only two of his three seasons having major snaps on defense. His impact in those two seasons was quite high, and he even elevated his play after leaving Carolina, earning second team All-Pro honors his first year in Washington. Luvu was one of the few bright spots in the middle of some very disappointing seasons, and his “hair on fire” playing style made those seasons at least a little more bearable.
